The List (of ill fate)

Somewhere out there is a list. It's a list of those things that can possibly go wrong. There is a section of things you can screw up yourself, and things that just sort of happen. Many things on this list we can head off before they happen. Others simply happen but it sure helps if we know what to do when they do come up. Problem is we don't know how long the list is or all the things that are on it.

Fellow blogger, XXC friend and novice endurance racer Zandr found one of those things the hard way and inspired this post.

Caveat Lector: Kind reader. Please forgive my loquacious rambling here, but I find that this is something I'm fairly passionate about. It is not my purpose to preach or claiming any special knowledge. I've simply learned a lot  - mostly through suffering - and want to pass on what I know. That's really what this entire blog is about. If you're not completely satisfied you can ignore everything here and I'll refund your money. Moving on...

Cursing the gods

Some things just happen, and we have absolutely no control over them. Remember the video of the guy getting run over by an antelope in South Africa? Yeah, I don't think you can predict or avoid that. Sometimes shit just happens. It doesn't have to be this wacky though, it could be some completely unpredictable mechanical or equipment or health failure.





While the totally unexpected out of your control does happen, not too many people run into a bear at 45mph. Usually there's some reason, a cause we could be aware of. When one of these oddities happens though it's actually a bit easier to handle. Why? Well, for starters you have no opportunity to blame yourself. There's nothing you or anyone else could have done. It just happened. Secondly, it's so rare that these things happen out of the blue that they're not likely to come up very often, and they can happen to anyone.

Birds crap - it happens. Sometimes it lands on you. There's no possible way you can learn the flight patterns and bowel movement indicators of birds to dodge their evil little bombs. Wipe it off and move on. This is on the list, but you don't control it, you can only deal with it.

Some measure of control

Some things are completely out of our control. But others, not so much. Sometimes we know about them, or that they could happen ahead of time, and others we don't, but we could possibly still handle the situation without is ruining the ride. Some can obviously have higher consequences (rattlesnake bite) than others (a flat tire without a spare in a race). Here's kinda how I see it:

Things on the list of ill fate 

		Do you know about it?
		Yes	No
Know how to deal with it?	Yes	Safe. It may happen, and it may suck but it’s no big deal.	Not a huge issue. You didn’t see it coming, but you have the right skills or attitude so you can keep rolling.
	No	You’ll probably beat yourself up about this one. You knew it could happen and for some reason don’t have the skills/knowledge to deal with the issue.	Unexpected pain and suffering lurk here without a good sense of humor.

Cursing someone else

Some days it's someone else screwing with you. Here's a sadly not uncommon event - locals (usually kids) changing course markings. You're in an event, the course has flags or other markings. Sometimes those markings fade or disappear. Sometimes those things are more or less maliciously moved. It could be local teenagers pulling a prank they think will be funny. I've also heard of locals who don't like events, or other trail users of a different modality trying to exact some sort of revenge.

It's unfortunate and often frustrating, but there's often not a lot you can do here. I say often, but not always. Sometimes you can be a bit prepared with a good cue sheet or navigation, but not always. If someone moves a sign that indicates a road I'm supposed to take I'll probably follow that road (and be pissed and confused later). If I'm on unsigned singletrack, I'm from out of town and have no knowledge of the system, and there's no real mile marker system to follow, I'm going to end up lost if someone removes or changes the markings. In the SYDC 2012 I listened to two different locals say I was on route when I thought we might have missed a turn. I went three miles off course before I finally paid heed to what my Garmin told me and got back on course. No malice on their part, and I don't blame them, but it did happen.

Sometimes it's a course director that gets the blame. "That $#%*!^@ didn't even __________." (Fill in the blanks as as you see fit for the tape in your head.) I know this happens and some folks have thought or even said this, but again it's not something we can really predict. I haven't been racing that long, but have yet to encounter much of this or meet people who have. Most event planners (paid expensive events and free grassroots events) try really hard to make the thing work so everyone has a good time. We all make mistakes. I can forgive that and move on. One the other hand, I also know there are some idiots out there. I'm not so starry eyed and optimistic as to think otherwise. The lesson? If you're unlucky enough to find one, don't go back to the events run by idiots.

Screwing ourselves

Many times, when something goes wrong, we DO have someone to blame. Often it's ourselves. I could have done X differently. I should have known how to handle Y. I could have prepared Z (equipment) better. We either knew, thought we knew, or were completely ignorant. If we're smart, we learn from the experience and move on. (If you wanna up you're Karma points help someone else learn the lessons you had to learn the hard way.)

The stuff we know

There's quite a bit on the list we know about that could screw us. I know I should wear sun protection but on the Echo Valley 60 in 2011 I didn't and got a heinous burn. I knew about sunburn, but didn't deal with it.  Now I use sun sleeves and recently purchased leg coolers that I'm testing. I know that I want my ride in perfect working order for DK200. That's why I'm taking it into the shop today to get a race check even though I do most of my own work and things seem fine. I'm doing this 10 days before we leave so I have plenty of time to fix or get parts for anything that comes up. Didn't have to learn this one the hard way.

The stuff we think we know

There's also stuff we think we know. The obvious one is nutrition. After climbing for 15 years I thought I knew nutrition. I could get away with a Clif bar every 2 hours. Yeah, that just doesn't work on the bike. I thought I knew nutrition after months of prepping for the High Cascades 100 in 2011. Yeah, it turns out after 70 miles what I thought I knew fell apart (I cannot eat a gel ever again). I learned from that experience, I read, I sought answers, I experimented. I thought I wanted calories in my hydration. I experimented with Skratch Labs Exercise Hydration Drink Mix (I also wish they still just called it Secret Drink Mix) and found I did much better eating my calories and drinking fluids. Up until this last ride I had trouble eating around the 9 hour mark. On SPDF 2012 I was tired but food didn't start to taste bad. I still have plenty to learn.

The point is, nutrition is an evolving knowledge. It's not like knowing how to set-up a tire tubeless; knowledge of nutrition is deep and evolves. There are layers of knowing that are uncovered as we evolve in the sport. I'm a far different athlete now than I was just a year ago when my longest ride was 60 miles. Our understanding evolves as we change how we play the game too. What worked for a 50 mile race did not work for a 100 miler. What works for me now at 65-75 degrees in Colorado may not work for me at 90 degrees when I tow the line in Emporia for DK200. It's just not that hot here and I can't turn up the heat to see what I need. I'm trying to be as prepared as possible though.

Ignorance - The stuff we don't know we don't know

Ignorance isn't an insult - it's simply a lack of knowledge. You are ignorant when you don't know ______. You might have known that you could break a chain and knew how to use a replacement link, but had no idea that you could remove a link or how to do this. You may know that you need a bike that fits right but perhaps you didn't really understand just how critical fit is once you start logging big miles. You may not understand terms like varus, vargus, pronation, supination or how leg length imbalances impact cycling.  And this ignorance may actually be causing you physical pain and potential long term injury. (read this  to learn a lot more - I learned more from this book than any other)


A wise man learns from his mistakes. An even wiser man learns from the mistakes of others. 


You can find this aphorism attributed to several folks, but usually it's an Asian source (a Zen proverb or the Buddha). In this case it's true. Learn all you can. Be self aware. Learn from the mistakes you make yourself and DON'T repeat them. Learn from others as much as you can too. Read books, listen to podcasts (XXC and MBR are good options), talk to those with more experience. The lessons you learn yourself are always stronger than those you learn from others (my chances of forgetting the option to remove a link are greater than Zander's). There's always something in the column that you didn't know, but make that part of the list as short as possible.

I had shifting problems beginning on the AntiEpic pre-ride where my chain kept dumping off the big ring. At the time I didn't know how quickly chain stretch would occur and that this was one consequence. Now I do. Now I have a better chain checker. Now I have a backup chain in my gear closet because I know I'll wear this one out and I absolutely do not want to ride a worn out chain on a big ass event like SPDF or DK200. You can bet that I check this pretty frequently now and I know how to deal with this.

One big bastard of a lesson, or a different kind of training

With all of these things that do or can happen we have the opportunity to learn and grow stronger.  Z broke a chain and walked farther than he needed to. I highly doubt that will EVER happen to him again. I pushed a bit hard by setting the High Cascades 100 as my 1 year cycling goal and got to learn what a muscular avulsion fracture is. It's still on the list of stuff that could happen, but now it's in the "I know how to deal with it and have the confidence to deal with it" category. That's where we want everything. It's a different type of training than simply going on long rides, doing hill repeats, or learning to ride technical terrain. My own personal list of ill fate has items in each of those categories below, but I'm doing my best to have as much as possible in the green.

Dealing with Things on the list of ill fate 

		Do you know about it?
		Yes	No
Know how to deal with it?	Yes	Safe. It may happen, and it may suck but it’s no big deal. Nice job! It'll be even less of a problem if it happens again	Not a huge issue. You didn’t see it coming, but you have the right skills or attitude so you can keep rolling. Learn a bit more so you're even more prepared.
	No	You’ll probably beat yourself up about this one. You knew it could happen and for some reason don’t have the skills/knowledge to deal with the issue. DON'T beat yourself up. Get over it and learn how to deal with it next time, so it's not a big deal.	Unexpected pain and suffering lurk here without a good sense of humor. Assuming you live through it, this was a hard lesson to learn. You now know it could happen, I hope you take some time to figure out how to handle it next time.

Coda

I'm sure I missed stuff in here. I'll admit that I'm not the most experienced rider (my vast worldly experience with cycling won't even hit the two year mark till September 2012). I've learned as much as I can from others, but made a lot of mistakes. My aim here is to pass on what I learned so hopefully you will have more fun and suffer just a little less. If you have any input or insight, if you've benefited from this (or any post really) please leave a comment. 

Packing with friends

The inaugural South Park Dirty Fondo is tomorrow so I'm headed up to Salida today to check out Absolute Bikes, Amica's and get a sense of the town. I'm fortunate enough that I'll be staying with the event director, so I hope to get the inside scoop on how to dodge raindrops and lightning at 10,000 feet (yeah there's a decent chance of rain). I have a couple new things I'm bringing which may get a first test run here.

The packing ritual is getting to be routine and no longer something I stress about too much. I do spend a bit of time the week before the event doing some planning such as looking over the route, planning how long segments will take, where I'll be able to refill water, how much food to bring and what to wear.

I do however have a new pleasant packing ritual - XXC Podcasts. The podcasts almost always consist of XXC front man Jason Mahokey, along with Ben Welnak and Zander Benedict. Often there are guests discussing events they host or have participated in, but there's always plenty of time where the three stooges generally ramble about topics somewhat related to endurance racing (e.g. nutrition and Zander's idea that Pop-tarts or gas station donuts are excellent pre-race fuel) to topics almost completely unrelated (e.g. Amish Cocaine, and sex with armadillos). Personally I get more than a few laughs out of the show, and sometimes I even learn something (gasp!). Highly recommended for your packing day ritual.

While this is a gravel related blog I'll be switching gears to follow singletrack just after DK200. I've been having an inner debate about how to handle this switch on the blog given the gravel in the title. Ben seems to think the gravel grovelers are really mountain bikers on a wider trail. One of Ben's recent projects Mountain Bike Radio has provided another interesting perspective on a variety of events. I'm blaming two of the podcasts from the AZT 300/750 for my recent purchase of a Relevate seat bag. I'm told there will be a website soon, but for now check it out on Facebook - I'm sure MBR will increase those stock offerings you just purchased.

Off to the race.

Soapstone Prairie and Red Mountain

I had been wanting to explore Soapstone Prairie Natural Area for a while. Since one of the longer sections of trail is closed from April 1-July 15 my ride on March 31 was a timed perfectly. I planned just over 30 miles and around 3 hours. 

The parking was easy to find and access with plenty of room. The SPNA website never mentioned a fee. Since the entrance kiosk was unmanned, and there was no signs for fees I was happily surprised to find that this was a free use area - not many places seem to be anymore.

I began heading East to connect with the Plover trail. This 7+ mile section is closed for a few months to allow for nesting. The trails leading to this were pretty fun, albeit mellow, singletrack. The Plover trail itself however, wasn't a trail so much as simply a gravel road on the plains. 

After rolling North on Plover, my route headed West. This was a fantastic trail that was almost entirely double track. Still the scenery was lovely. I began to catch up to a few recreational riders in this section. After a short wrong turn diversion, and correction, I saw them again as the trail entered the Red Mountain Open Space area.

The beginning of Red Mountain Open Space - looking South

The route - Ruby Wash - heads right down into that  canyon.

Red Mountain is a big change in scenery as you drop into Ruby Wash. It's the first real singletrack on the route I chose and the first area where a CX bike might not be a better option. This is even more apparent when you finish the descent and end up in the wash proper. for those not in the know this means you're riding on a dry sandy creek bed. It's not a ton of fun, and it is sluggish, but the scenery of riding through the canyon makes up for it (at least the first time). Along this South heading section of the route the trail was marked with nondescript little towers of rock held together in a wire shell. They're not always easy to see, but that's what you're looking for if you go here. The creek bed wanders and there are tire tracks all over. There are also several random side trails (some of which go nowhere) but the towers point the way.

The wash part of Ruby Wash

At the end of Ruby Wash it was time to head back East to reconnect with the car. This unfortunately meant I had to head up another wash (uphill this time). At some point I exited stage right onto a very clearly defined singletrack section. I wish I had taken some pictures of this section because it reminded me of Salsa's line "adventure by bike." I'm not sure if this was a sanctioned trail, as it had varying use and was unsigned, but it was prominent, nothing told me not to ride it, and it did connect with another main trail. (FYI - there are many different places where trails are clearly marked with signs that say "Not a trail.")

Back on the main trail, singletrack dominated the remainder of the route. The Cheyenne Rim trail was fantastic. The views were amazing and after one large ascent it was largely downhill. I couldn't help but think that I was on this trail in the right direction. The last mile to the car was double track but the other 6 miles were the highlight of the trip.

How Cheyenne Rim got it's name

sweet singletrack = more fun riding and less pictures

I hadn't found anyone else who had ridden here, so I wasn't entirely sure what I was in for. Now I know and I can say I would go back. I'm generally not fond of gravel on a MTB ride, and I could do without so much sand next time, but there were several sections of singletack that I missed on this trip which could be linked together to avoid a lot of the sand and most of the roads. There is very little technical riding in this area even on the singletrack, but what there is leads me to believe that this is still a lot more fun if you bring the 29er and leave the skinny tires at home.